SAFA - Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has reaffirmed his commitment to the plan to surround one of the wings of Ketziot Prison with crocodile-filled trenches, despite an Israeli court order temporarily suspending the project.

During a visit to the prison alongside Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, Ben Gvir inspected trenches prepared as part of the proposal. He declared that "there will be crocodiles" and said he intended to pursue legal action to secure approval for the initiative.

The Jerusalem District Court recently ordered a temporary freeze on the project pending a ruling on a petition filed by an Israeli animal welfare organization challenging the plan.

The proposal is part of a broader series of measures promoted by Ben Gvir targeting Palestinian prisoners. It has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and Israeli professional bodies, which say there is no precedent for using crocodiles as part of modern prison security systems and warn that the project could pose risks to both public safety and animal welfare.

According to Palestinian prisoners' institutions, Israeli occupation authorities are currently holding around 9,400 Palestinian prisoners, including 99 women and more than 350 children.

The groups also report that since the onset of the genocidal war against the Gaza Strip in October 2023, 90 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli custody amid ongoing reports that Israeli occupation authorities have stepped up policies of torture, starvation and medical neglect of detainees.